Sue Sanderson – our horticulturist expert
Sue Says
North facing walls are sheltered, sunless positions where conditions do not widely fluctuate. Selecting a plant for a north facing wall is often thought to be difficult particularly if there is limited space. However, there are plenty of evergreen options available to you that can be kept to a reasonable size with a little training and pruning.
Lonicera japonica Halliana, Pileostegia viburnoides and Akebia quinata are all attractive climbers that will thrive in north facing conditions (although Akebia is only a semi-evergreen and can be quite vigorous!).
There are also many wall shrubs that can look spectacular grown against a wall such as Cotoneaster horizontalis and Berberidopsis corallina. A nicely trained Pyracantha is hard to beat with its evergreen foliage, white flowers in early summer and mass of bright berries in autumn. They are tough and easy to maintain but give a fantastic display throughout the year.
